Blahcetera

Jul
25th

Fri

Dear Tumblr,

How are you?
I just wanted to pop by to see how you doing in my absence.

Won’t be around much until ~after Sept. 2nd. I write the MCAT on August the 26th, but will be busy with the UBC application until the 2nd.
Meh, DETAILS DETAILS.

I would like to use onamonopeias more often in conversations. I think that would make my life more like a comic book.

I’ve rediscovered my like for jogging.
I’ve rediscovered excuses to not jog.

If I could describe my brain right now, it would be…dry. I feel like I need a brain mellon.

Words I like that begin with M:
- Mellon
- Mango
- Marumba
- Marimba
- Melancholy
- Malarky
- Miigwech
- Manatee…if it had the letter “j” in it

Jul
14th

Mon

Marineland really needs a new jingle for their commercials.

I like this even more than I like poking fun of people that don’t appreciate satire.

But seriously, Obama has already gone to great lengths in order to address ridiculous rumors, and people still believe in this stuff. Maybe sometimes, when people won’t even listen to the facts, it’s best to use satire to show the stupidity of their ideas.

For months now, smear-makers have made insinuations, veiled suggestions, and scary claims about Obama’s character. This cover simply displays all the smears at the same time and in one image, revealing how stupid some people really are.

Apologies for the vent.

election08:

New Yorker cartoon cover w/Obamas (via scriptingnews). It hits all the notes, but it doesn’t actually hit at the target, which is those on the right who want us to see the Obamas this way. If this was accompanied by an article discussing the ridiculousness of this line of GOP attack it would be more effective and slightly less controversial. As a cover it can be taken as the reader wants.

Update: Ryan Lizza’s article in the New Yorker.

Jul
13th

Sun

I was always more of a Pinky and the Brain guy.

jillian:

I used to love Animaniacs.

via niki:

The nations of the world. One of my MOST FAVOURITE YouTube clips.

RescueTime

I’m going to give this application a try. It’s supposed to track your computer use and provide reports on your productivity and procrastination.

I actually mentioned I wanted something like this earlier.

I can see, though, that checking rescuetime could itself become a form of procastination.

Anyways.

Jul
9th

Wed

Ontario Cigarette Display Ban

—(link via Jill)

The cigarette ban prevents the display of “Power Walls”.

Power Walls all the large displays of cigarettes behind the cashier counter at convenience stores (or gas stations, grocery stores, etc.). There’s research showing that these (strategically placed) Power Walls likely increase the incidence of young people starting smoking. They also make it more difficult for smokers trying to quit and may increase the probability or relapse in ex-smokers.

The rationale is that the huge displays create an impression that cigarettes are equivalent to other products in the store such as milk and candy—generating the idea of social acceptance in youth.

This Health Canada Report says that “85% of the 480 stores surveyed [in 2004] had displays of tobacco products or accessories within 0.3 metre of candy, snack foods or toys.”

Power walls also make it harder for smokers trying to quit by increasing impulse buying among these addicted smokers. To me, the displays also seem kind of cruel to ex-smokers who, after struggling with niccotine addiction, have to shop at stores with giant walls showcasing their former demons.

jillian:

Okay, so this story is about 6 weeks old, but I honestly hadn’t heard about the cigarette display ban until I was in Ontario last week and noticed that cigarettes were no longer on display in 7-Eleven stores. I guess the rationale is that it will discourage new smokers as they won’t be able to see the product, but I’m not so sure it will work.

Numbers

OMSAS just published the admissions statistics for Ontario medical schools.

I doubt these numbers will be relevant to anyone, but I think throwing them up here will be therapeutic for me.
Indulge me.

# Available Spots: 842
# Individuals Applied: 5,611
# Applications Made: 16,287

% Applications Rejected: 94.8%

% Individuals that didn’t get in: 85.0% (I was one of them last year)

:D

Jul
6th

Sun

I’m looking at applying overseas to medical schools in the U.K.

Only three U.K. medschools don’t require any British standardized tests (the U.K. doesn’t do the MCAT; they have their own tests). They’re: University of Bristol, University of Birmingham, and University of Liverpool.

I want to apply to all three (as well as the Canadian schools, of course), but I’m really hesitant to apply to any school that resorts to banner ads in an effort to attract students.
That’s lame.

(via zacharyr)

Yes, the Creation Museum!
I can barely imagine how wierd it must feel to be in there.
(Human Reason vs. God’s Word)?

Reminds me of this funny story, when the creation museum first opened: “Creation Museum Actor Owns Porn Site”.

For even more irony, it seems that the museum was built on top of a world-famous fossil layer.
Yep: The Museum’s foundation is made of fossils that directly refutes the Museum’s exhibits.

Jul
1st

Tue

Happy Birthday, Canada.

You look great.
I really mean that.